Lavender plant named ‘Belros’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Belros’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit, dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth habit; and purple-colored flowers with light purple-colored terminal flower bracts.

Botanical designation: Lavandula stoechas.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Belros’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is co-pending with the following relatedapplication: U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/113,393, LavenderPlant Named ‘Belrou’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavenderplant, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Belros’.

The new Lavender is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new compact and freely branchingLavender cultivars with large and attractive flowers and good gardenperformance.

The new Lavender originated from an open-pollination in 1999 of aproprietary selection of Lavandula stoechas identified as code number00-38, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknownselection of Lavandula stoechas, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newLavender was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grownin a controlled environment in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia inSeptember, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings atKulnura, New South Wales, Australia, since 2000, has shown that theunique features of this new Lavender are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Belros have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics ‘Belros’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Belros’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. Vigorous growth habit.    -   4. Purple-colored flowers with light purple-colored terminal        flower bracts.

Plants of the new Lavender differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender and the female parent selection        differ in flower coloration.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender and the female parent selection        differ in flower bract coloration.

Plants of the new Lavender differ primarily from plants of the cultivarBelrou, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/113,393,in flower and terminal flower bract coloration.

Plants of the new Lavender can be compared to plants of the Lavendercultivar Kew Red, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inKulnura, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Lavender differedfrom plants of the cultivar Kew Red in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender were taller and more uniform in        growth habit than plants of the cultivar Kew Red.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender had longer leaves than plants of        the cultivar Kew Red.    -   3. Plants of the new Lavender had larger terminal flower bracts        than plants of the cultivar Kew Red.    -   4. Plants of the new Lavender and the cultivar Kew Red differed        in terminal flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar        Kew Red had light lavender-colored terminal flower bracts.    -   5. Plants of the new Lavender had longer peduncles than plants        of the cultivar Kew Red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Lavender.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Belros’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Belros’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1999 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse in Kulnura, New SouthWales, Australia for about four to six months in 15-cm containers.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula stoechas cultivar Belros.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lavandula            stoechas identified as code number 00-38, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Lavandula            stoechas, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 18° C. to 21°            C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial plant; upright, somewhat outwardly spreading            and mounded plant form. Freely branching habit with lateral            branches potentially at every node; dense and bushy plant            habit; vigorous growth habit. Flowers in verticillasters on            crowded spikes with showy terminal flower bracts.        -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple;            decurrent. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:            Linear. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire;            edges, recurved. Texture, upper surface: Fine pubescence.            Texture, lower surface: Smooth. Fragrance: Very aromatic,            pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color:            Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 137A. Fully            expanded foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 137A; venation,            134A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers in            compact verticillasters on crowded spikes. Freely flowering,            about five to six rows of flowers and flower buds per spike;            flowers tubular with five lobes; inflorescences with showy            terminal bracts.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the Spring.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual inflorescences            last about two weeks on the plant and individual flowers            last about two to four days on the plant. Flowers, not            persistent; terminal flower bracts, persistent.        -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1.3            cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2 mm. Depth (height): About 4 mm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length, lobes:            About 1 mm. Width, lobes: About 1 mm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When            opening, upper and lower surfaces: 77A. Fully opened, upper            and lower surfaces: 77A.        -   Terminal flower bracts.—Arrangement: About four in a single            whorl at inflorescence apex. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width:            About 8 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; velvety. Color, immature, upper and lower            surfaces: 75B to 75C; venation, close to 77A. Color,            immature, upper and lower surfaces: 75B to 75C; venation,            close to 77A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 4 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color: Close            to 134A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther            color: Close to 14A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:            Close to 14A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Stigma            shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style color:            Close to 157D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavender have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavender.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lavender have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from −2° C. to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Belros’, as illustrated and described. 